Trader Joe’s sells a very nice 500-gram dark chocolate bar for about $8.00. We break it apart and put the pieces in a jar. It’s super easy to walk by, grab a piece, and wolf it down before I make it to the other side of the room.
In the same pantry, we keep single-origin, 85-gram artisanal chocolate bars. They’re beautifully packaged and come with a story about the farm, tasting notes, and often assurances about how they were sourced.
These bars cost between $12 and $15 each . . . about six times as much.
It’s an entirely different experience tasting these. These, you never sample alone. It’s always best with someone else.
We break off small pieces, taking time to notice the texture and aroma. The best way to savor the morsel is to let it melt slowly on your tongue, waiting for the flavors to unfold and mature. A piece might start with a hint of coffee or berries and finish with a note of spice or banana.
A nip from a bar originating in a different country offers a completely different texture and flavor profile. Just those two bites might take ten minutes to digest and discuss fully.
Chocolate is chocolate, or is it?
Most things in life are like this. What goes into creating, growing, making or presenting the thing makes a difference. So do our expectations, approach, and attention.
We get to choose. The choice is worth making.